PunditGuy is on to something interesting, and I hope conservative bloggers pick up on it. Websense, “global leader in web filtering, and premier provider of web security software, provides multilayered web filtering and web security solutions to increase productivity, optimize bandwidth and create a more secure internet environment for employees and organizations,” considers FOX News an advocacy group. As a result, the cable network’s web site is blocked, while other news outlets are not.
This is straight-up censorship, but private employers have the right to filter out junk coming through their network, and they apparently have no objections to the block. I think it’s foul, but it’s up to individual private companies to change.
PunditGuy says he’s contacted Websense to verify that FOX is blocked and why. Isn’t it strange how we’ve all become so used to the liberal bent of most organizations and media, that we’re not surprised by things like this? I haven’t done any research, so I’ll update you when PunditGuy updates me.
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The key to this story is to determine whether blocking Fox News’ site is part of the default configuration; or if it’s a local setting by the employer. We don’t want to tar Websense if it’s not their fault.
But if it IS a judgment call by Websense, their CEO deserves to be verbally horse-whipped.
The left isn’t dead yet.
Oh come on, you people. We all know that Fox is a key component of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. It’s for the good of the country that we do everything possible to silence Fox, and to silence all the other evil right wing news and talk outlets.
It may not be too late to save the nation from those unwashed, disgusting, ignorant red-state morons who seek to interfere with our enlightened progressive utopian agenda, but we need to act fast.
In case you people think I’m overreacting to the Red State threat, here is a disturbing fact. Did you know that some people who live out there in the Wilderness cannot even list the works of Stephen Sondheim? It’s true! Can you imagine people like that having any sort of say in our society? It’s just too horrible to contemplate.
Did anyone watch the episode of Boston Legal where they addressed this same topic in a court case alluding to Fox and a principles blocking of that channel…
One of the sites that I am at has a plasma television showing the 24 hour news.
CNN is banned from being shown. Only FOX or a financial network can be shown.
If it is necessary for work, the netadmin can allow it through, otherwise it’s otta here!!
Also you can go to the Websense website and ask for a site to be blocked. I believe all it takes is 1 request, and usually the site will be blocked in the next database release.
I am familiar with websense and its filters and I will stick my neck out and give them the benefit of my doubt. Maybe the term Fox (in refernce to females) is what is causing the filter to kick in and deny access. Or as Scott mention at the top of this thread
“to determine whether blocking Fox News’ site is part of the default configuration; or if it’s a local setting by the employer”
Demond aka “Ole Sarge”
Where I work they blocked the Family Research Counsil (http://www.frc.org) as an advocacy group. However they didn’t block GLSN or the ACLU web sites. I thought it was unfair. I knew that I couldn’t ask them to unblock FRC because you are supposed to be using their property for work. I did ask them to block the ACLU and they did.
We use Websense here at the office and I’m able to get to Fox news…
Fox blockage must be a configurable item…
RickinVa – same at my company, also in VA.
I’m gonna set the filters at my company so they only accept Earl Pitts. All Earl Pitts, all the time. That’s what we need.
Yes. They advocate for both sides of the story to be told.
We can’t have that..
“Yes. They advocate for both sides of the story to be told.”
‘yelled’ would be more accurate than told. Although I think the rest of the media is catching up.
My employer uses WebSense and I regularly visit Fox News. On the other hand, I sometimes can’t access Modern Healthcare Magazine, which is unfortunate as I am in healthcare management. I say “sometimes” because there are many days when I have no problem accessing that site. Sometimes, WebSense makes NoSense.
WebSense does make “NoSense,” because as a public educator, there were plenty of sites that did not have illicit content that were blocked because of something in the URL that was tied to a keyword that the local school district objected to. But then there were cases in the same district where some teachers could download porn onto their classroom computers and WebSense didn’t block the site at all.
I find it silly that Fox News is called an advocacy group. It’s no more and advocacy group than the New York Times or the Washington Post or CBS.
I have found it curious for a long time that the limited cable selection in hotels around the country ALWAYS offers both CNN and CNNHN, and often MSNBC. You hardly ever can get Fox.
And yet Fox nationally wipes the floor in the ratings with these other channels.
These hotels want to provide their guests with the most popular cable news channels, no?
They try and try and try, but the funny thing about freedom, optimism and real free market democracy cannot be censored.
It’s the thought that counts.
Can ya’ dig it?
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